Axe the fax to cut red tape, independent businesses ask govts

It’s time for governments to ditch their fax machines and outdated paper forms and embrace digital technology, says the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB). As part of its 11th annual Red Tape Awareness Week™, CFIB is posting an open letter to all governments challenging them to take at least one meaningful step to modernise in 2020.

“We see governments starting to take steps to modernise and we want to see more of that and see it across the board. It’s crazy that in 2020 some business owners keep a fax machine solely to deal with governments or have to stand in line for a simple business licence application. This kind of red tape costs Canadians and small businesses countless hours of wasted time and frustration,” said Jordi Morgan, CFIB’s vice-president for Atlantic Canada. “Imagine if every government, from the federal and provincial down to all municipalities, moved one process, one form or one fee online this year. It’s a small ask, but the effects would be huge.”

In a recent survey, CFIB received hundreds of comments from business owners about antiquated rules and procedures they run up against that make no sense in the 21st century. In its open letter, CFIB cites some examples of actions governments can take to accept the challenge:

Putting most commonly accessed forms online, and making sure they are easy to find and that they can be submitted fully online.
Making payment options available online.
Eliminating the need to have a fax machine to deal with government.
As governments digitise, they should also improve their standard of customer service by ensuring that websites are easy to navigate, links are up-to-date and someone is available to help or answer questions when something goes wrong. Governments should also maintain options for those without access to high-speed internet.

In previous years, governments have taken up CFIB’s Red Tape Challenges to address internal trade barriers and adopt a one-in-one-out rule for new regulations.

“We have always been ambitious with our challenges to government. This year, we’re asking for something much smaller, but that could really change the way governments serve Canadians and small business owners on a day-to-day basis,” added Laura Jones, CFIB’s executive vice-president. “It’s time for governments to go from in-line to online and give Canadians the greatest gift of all—the gift of time.”